Tag: cad | ArchDaily

Barriers to BIM: Why India’s Construction Culture Slows Technology Adoption

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Touted as the new era in construction, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has captured global attention with its promise of seamless coordination, trimmed budgets, and newfound efficiencies. Yet in India's construction landscape, the adoption of technology tells a more nuanced story about cultural barriers and technical limitations.

Architecture in the Age of Platforms: What Role Does Software Play in Practice Today?

Enrique Tovar — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

How many software tools and platforms are involved today in developing a contemporary project? From designing a single-family house to a public library, relying on just one or two programs is no longer common. Instead, multiple tools combine, overlap, and interact throughout various stages, including analysis, design, rendering, coordination, and construction. This widespread use of software in the virtual world reflects not only the technical complexity of today's practice but also a more subtle yet equally significant shift: software has become less a specific tool and more an environment that accompanies and even challenges the process.

The Continued Relevance of Models in Architecture's Digital Era

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

For centuries, models have been central to architectural design, providing architects with a tangible way to explore ideas, test concepts, and communicate their vision. From the Renaissance to Modernism, models have been instrumental in the construction and reflection processes, offering insights into form, proportion, and spatial relationships. However, in today's digital age, where 3D models and Virtual Reality (VR) have become powerful and efficient tools, the question arises: Are physical models still relevant in contemporary architecture?

Transforming Architectural Education with Augmented and Virtual Reality

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 07:30:00 +0000

The discipline of architecture has undergone considerable change, primarily driven by advancements in the application of technology. Architects, long viewed as the futurists of the constructed world, are now utilizing progressive techniques and resources and expanding the use cases of technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). This transition extends beyond professional practices into architectural education, bringing opportunities to redefine the approach of architects toward their craft.

Rayon: A Design Software Revolutionizing Collaboration for Efficient Project Development

Paul Yakubu — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Rayon, an innovative online design tool that aims to create a new collaborative approach to developing "mundane buildings" within the city, has been selected as part of ArchDaily's 2023 Best New Practices. Founded in 2021 by Bastien Dolla and Stanislas Chaillou, it is a collaborative design software that brings together professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. The software company believes that there is a “culture of the ordinary” in architecture. This culture represents an ecosystem of buildings that may seem unremarkable or aren't impressive landmarks in the city. However, these buildings and their construction professionals make up 90% of the urban fabric and contribute to the design culture that collectively gives identity to the city. The founders believe previous software generations have neglected this culture and propose Rayon as a novel tool to fill that gap by enhancing collaboration and user ergonomics.

Is AI Really the Next Big Thing in Architecture?

Geethanjali Raman & Mohik Acharya — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 03:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Support for Architects and Planners: Specifications, CAD Drawings, BIM Objects, and Other Design Tools

Olivia Bartolini — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 06:45:00 +0000

Technology manufacturer 2N is diversifying its range of products by offering A&E, BIM technology, and other strategies for architects and designers.

Architectural Rendering and the Slippery Slope of the Uncanny Valley

Matthew Maganga — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Fifty-one years ago, in 1970, a Japanese roboticist named Masahiro Mori came up with the concept of the “Uncanny Valley”. Around the same time, architectural renderings done using analog methods were still in vogue – collages and photomontages used to get ideas across to clients. A decade later, personal computers came along, and that saw the emergence of CAD and the wider adoption of digital rendering. Today’s architectural renderings are almost imperceptible from reality, with the increase in sophistication of rendering sofware. We struggle to tell the difference between what is a rendering and what is not – or rather we are able to tell a slight difference and it leaves us slightly uncomfortable, which brings us to Mori’s uncanny valley.

Alternative Free Software for Architecture and Design

OBARQ — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 11:00:00 +0000

During the academic formation process, beginner architects are educated and trained to develop projects on the most “traditional” software. Several reasons might explain that: the partnerships that these companies usually make with the university labs, the lack of time to learn a new program, or the culture to use the most popular software.

CAD Files of High Pressure Laminates (HPL) Panels Available for Your Next Project

Eduardo Souza — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000

A facade must meet steep requirements as both the first skin that protects a building, its interiors, and its materials, and as the first thing a person sees. In addition to weather resistance and durability, its appearance is extremely vital for any architectural project. Prefabricated facade panels provide a clean, precise, and sophisticated finish to buildings and sport high versatility through different patterns and shapes.

50 AutoCAD Commands You Should Know

Nicolás Valencia — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:30:00 +0000

After spending countless hours in front of AutoCAD working on a project, you’re bound to have your own set of favorite commands to standardize a few steps. We also bet that you don’t have them all memorized or often forget them. To help you remember, we've made a list of 50 commands that can help you speed up your work game, discover new shortcuts, or come in use as a handy tool for when you forget what the command you need is called.

The New Face of Architectural Visualization

Rene Submissions — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Architectural visualization has been around for centuries, with drawings and paintings depicting finished structures before they were built. In the 1990s, the movement of the industry from paper to CAD saw video added to the mix, with the new ability to produce walk-throughs and fly-throughs from design.

It was only a matter of time before architectural visualization professionals discovered real-time rendering, which can produce finished videos in a fraction of the time of traditional rendering processes. Initially intended for game development, real-time render engines have now reached a level of quality and photorealism that makes them ideal for presenting architectural designs.

Making Real-Time Rendering Less Daunting: Unreal Engine Online Learning

Sponsored Post — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 02:30:00 +0000

When you see new software that can speed up your workflow, it’s fun to imagine what you can do with it. But in reality, many of us don’t want to be among the first to try it out, especially if documentation is lacking. No one wants to spend countless hours fighting with mysterious features only to go back to the old workflow because you just need to get things done.

Maybe you’ve been thinking about trying out photoreal real-time rendering for your workflow, but you’re concerned that that on-ramp is too steep. Real-time rendering requires you to import your CAD

Mind the Gap: Minimizing Data Loss Between GIS and BIM

Nicolas Mangon — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 09:30:00 +0000

An unfortunate fact of the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry is that, between every stage of the process—from planning and design to construction and operations—critical data is lost.

How an Optimized Workstation Accelerates Your Design

Rene Submissions — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Which processor? How many graphics cards? How much RAM? For architects, engineers, civil engineers, BIM managers, and other CAD pros, navigating the computer workstation marketplace can be an arduous task, hindered by unknowledgeable sales reps, inaccurate information, and other pitfalls.

16 CAD Files of Roof Windows and Light Tubes Available for Your Next Project

ArchDaily Team — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 15:00:00 +0000

In the spirit of supporting our readers’ design work, the company Velux has shared a series of .DWG files with us of their different roofing windows models. The files can be downloaded directly from this article and include great amounts of detail and information.

Ditch the Wait with Real-Time Rendering

Rene Submissions — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 01:30:00 +0000

A recent independent survey of more than 2000 architectural visualization professionals revealed an intriguing trend. More than 20% of these designers and architects are using real-time rendering as part of their presentation workflows right now, with another 40% trying it out for adoption.

Structural Design of Zaha Hadid's 1000 Museum Revealed in CAD Drawings

Patrick Lynch — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 13:15:00 +0000

As Zaha Hadid Architects’ 1000 Museum residential tower in Miami continues toward its December 2018 completion date (tracked by this nifty countdown clock), the computer drawings for the structure have been revealed, showing the complex structure in section, elevation and detail.